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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26016049">Teenage Wasteland</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/klutzy_girl/pseuds/klutzy_girl'>klutzy_girl</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Baby-Sitters Club (TV 2020)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Birthday, Domestic Fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Family, Father-Daughter Relationship, Light Angst, Mother-Daughter Relationship, Post-Season/Series 01, Siblings, Step-parents, Step-siblings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 05:34:43</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,339</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26016049</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/klutzy_girl/pseuds/klutzy_girl</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Kristy wakes up excited the morning of her thirteenth birthday, looking forward to spending the day with her family. However, she feels a little melancholy over a certain missing guest.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Elizabeth Thomas Brewer/Watson Brewer</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Teenage Wasteland</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Kristy woke up excited the morning of her thirteenth birthday and jolted out of bed due to the excitement thrumming throughout her body. She hurried up and got ready before rushing into the kitchen, where she was greeted by her family. “Happy birthday, sweetheart! I can’t believe my baby girl is thirteen now. A teenager!” Liz murmured, tearing up.</p>
<p>Kristy side-eyed her mother. “You’re not going to start telling the story about giving birth to me again, right?”</p>
<p>Liz grinned at her. “It’s like you don’t know me, Kristin Amanda.”</p>
<p>She sighed. “You went into labor during a Yankees game, Dad didn’t want to leave right away, but then the contractions got too close together, and you delivered me in the middle of the night.”</p>
<p>“Way to simplify it but yeah, that’s the gift. I love you.” Liz sniffled and pulled her daughter in for a brief hug.</p>
<p>Kristy looked forward to spending the day with her family but she also couldn’t wait for later - the girls planned to come over and spend the night. And even as excited as she was, she was a little melancholy about the fact that her father wasn’t there to spend this milestone birthday with her. “Love you too, Mom.”</p>
<p>“Do you want to eat breakfast now? You have plenty of choices - we went all out,” Watson explained to her.</p>
<p>Charlie snorted. “We’ve made a grave mistake.”</p>
<p>Kristy shot a glare in her oldest brother’s direction. “Shut up, Charlie!”</p>
<p>“Hey, eat before it gets cold,” he teasingly chided. </p>
<p>“You’re just starving,” she shot back.</p>
<p>“You got me there.” He grabbed some bacon and eggs, and started shoveling it down.</p>
<p>“I’m not an animal and was willing to wait for you, Kristy. Don’t listen to him.” Sam gasped when Charlie stomped on his foot. “Rude. Screw you,” he hissed under his breath, hoping nobody else would hear.</p>
<p>“Language,” Liz scolded as she walked past him to grab her own plate. She laughed when Watson pulled her closer to him for a quick kiss.</p>
<p>“I hope you have a great birthday,” David Michael told his sister.</p>
<p>“Thanks, buddy.” She ruffled his hair and paid no mind to his whining.</p>
<p>“You’re welcome,” David Michael finally muttered as he got in line.</p>
<p>“You want cake for breakfast? Because we can make it happen,” Liz informed her daughter.</p>
<p>“Thanks, but I can wait a little while. Tomorrow!” And that’s when Kristy’s phone rang - she grabbed it, unsurprised to read Lisa’s name. “Karen and Andrew,” she told her family.</p>
<p>“Kristy! Happy birthday! I can’t believe you’re so old now!” Karen cried excitedly.</p>
<p>She could only shake her head in amusement. “I’m not that old, Karen, but thank you.”</p>
<p>“Happy birthday!” Andrew shouted.</p>
<p>Kristy winced. “Thank you too, kiddo, but not that loud, okay?”</p>
<p>“Sorry! I can’t wait to see you this weekend.” </p>
<p>“I can’t wait to see you two either. You being good for your mom and Seth?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, but we miss you and the big house,” Karen answered. She sighed forlornly.</p>
<p>“We all miss you too.” The three of them chatted for a few more minutes before hanging up the phone. Kristy happily tore into her meal with some gusto.</p>
<p>After they all finished eating and loaded the dishes into the dishwasher, the Thomas-Brewer family headed into the living room. “We’re saving presents for later but you can open one now.” Liz hoped she liked her gifts.</p>
<p>Kristy cheered and grabbed a smaller, box-shaped present from the pile - she could have patience and wait to open the big ones later, once her friends were over. She gasped when she spotted the baseball glove. “Really?”</p>
<p>“Really. You deserve something special. I hope you like it.” A nervous Watson eyed her as he awaited her reaction, concerned she’d hate it.</p>
<p>“I love it. Thank you!” She couldn’t wait to get started and play with her new glove but she had plenty of time to do so. Kristy just wanted to spend all of her time with the people she loved most in the world today. But now the melancholy was back as she thought back to Patrick. What would he have given her today? Would he even send a card?</p>
<p>Liz and Watson glanced at each other, both noticing Kristy’s sudden drop in mood. Liz clapped her hand. “Our day is just getting started! We have plenty to do today, so grab your shoes so we can go.”</p>
<p>“Sure.” Kristy stood up, thanked them for her glove again, and then practically bolted towards her bedroom.</p>
<p>“I’ll talk to her. Maybe give her a new perspective,” Watson told his wife.</p>
<p>“You sure?” she pressed.</p>
<p>“I’m sure,” he assured her. When he made his way to Kristy’s bedroom, she was sitting on her bed, clutching a pillow and trying not to cry. “Hey, it wasn’t that bad was it?” he joked.</p>
<p>Her head snapped up and she tried to head the evidence of a single tear rolling down her cheek. “Nah, I’m fine,” she lied, her voice cracking. Kristy cringed, futilely hoping he hadn’t noticed and wouldn’t call her on it.</p>
<p>“This is about Patrick, isn’t it?” Watson refused to refer to that man as the kids’ father - as far as he was concerned, all four of these kids were his now - Patrick had no rights to them.</p>
<p>“How’d you know?”</p>
<p>“It’s a parent thing. Maybe you’ll figure it out as a baby-sitter.” He sat down on the bed and flashed her a smile, which Kristy didn’t return. “Excuse my language but you’re a teenager now and I know what kids you age are like, as Charlie and Sam prove every day. Ah, teenage boys. Anyway, your father never once deserved your mother or you kids. He’s a piece of shit who’s nothing but a sperm donor. Fuck him.”</p>
<p>Kristy giggled despite the mixed emotions warring within her. “Fuck him!” she echoed, surprising herself by being brave enough to swear in front of an adult.</p>
<p>He laughed in response and winked at her. “Damn straight. Kristy, I can’t tell you how to feel about Patrick because you’re entitled to your emotions but you four are my kids now and that’s that.” Watson wanted to track him down and get him to sign away his parental rights so he could adopt the four Thomas kids but hadn’t broached the subject with his wife yet. Hiring a private investigator sounded like a fantastic idea, and they needed to look into it.</p>
<p>Kristy embraced him, which was a bit of a surprise. “Thanks, Watson. I really appreciate everything you’ve done for us already.” She had been against him and the relationship at first but Watson had proved himself to be a stand-up guy who clearly cared about all of them. Her mom deserved to be happy.</p>
<p>“You ready to go now and enjoy your birthday celebration?”</p>
<p>“Yeah.” The two of them stood up and then returned to the living room, Liz anxiously waiting for them (the three Thomas boys had been distracted by other, more interesting things). “Talk go okay?” she asked them.</p>
<p>Kristy nodded. “You picked a good one, Mom.”</p>
<p>Liz blinked at her, confused. “Thanks? Well, I’m glad Watson’s talk helped.” It was exciting and such a relief to have a partner in parenthood again - years of being a single mother had worn on her. She kissed her daughter’s temple and then thanked Watson with his own kiss. “I love you so much, Watson Brewer.”</p>
<p>“And I love you too, Liz Thomas-Brewer.”</p>
<p>Kristy, Charlie, and Sam all gagged. “No PDA!” she shouted.</p>
<p>“Gross,” Charlie agreed, wrinkling up his nose.</p>
<p>Sam glared at them. “You’re too much sometimes. God.”</p>
<p>David Michael only giggled. “They’re so cute.”</p>
<p>“Okay, time to go. Come on!” Watson urged.</p>
<p>Kristy’s day with her family and then night with her friends led to a pretty successful - and happy - birthday. Becoming a teenager was thrilling, and she was extremely grateful for everyone in her life. She couldn’t wait to find out what the rest of her teenage years would be like.</p>
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